Cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies are used in many industrial manufacturing and conveying applications. The cam follower assemblies and the yoke roller assemblies each typically include an outer ring disposed around an inner ring or stud with a plurality of rolling elements such as needle rollers disposed in a cavity therebetween. In some cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies, there are two rows of cylindrical rollers, separated by an axial thrust ring positioned between the two rows of rollers and seated in a groove in the inner ring or stud.
Cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies are subject to high loads when used in various applications. Such loads include radial and axial loads. Axial loads are often referred to as thrust loads. Typical cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies can safely operate and withstand axial loads up to 10 percent of the applied radial load. Prior art cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies tend to catastrophically fail when the axial load exceeds 10 percent of the applied radial load. The cause of such failures in the prior art cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies is the tendency of the axial thrust ring to disengage from the groove in the stud upon application of excessive axial loads.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for cam follower assemblies and yoke roller assemblies with increased axial load capacity.